Machine for affixing sheets of paper or the like to boards, cards, or like mounts



Nlziy 15, 1928.

W. D. RATCLIFF MACHINE FOR AFFIXING SHEETS OF PAPER OR THE LIKE TO BOARDS, CARDS, OR LIKE MOUNTS Filed May 24. 1926 3 Sheets-$heet 3 3 v ii m3 u il May 15, 1928. 1,669,488

W. D. RATCLIFF MACHINE FOR AFFIXING SHEETS OF PAPER OR THE LIKE TO BOARDS, CARDS, OR LIKE MOUNTS Filed May 34. 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet TIIIIIZZZi'IJ:

OR THE LIKE TO NTS May 15, 1928.

' VV. MACHINE FOR AFFIXING BOARDS D.RATCUFF SHEETS OF PAPER RDS, OR LIKE MOU F d May 24. 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 A770M EXS Patented May 15, 1928.

unirnn 5 "WILLIAM 'IDOCKRAY JZRLATGLIFF, .OF "EIMKEHOUS'E, LONDON, ENGLAND, 'ASSIGNOR TO THE CROSS-RA'I'CLIFFLININ'G ANDill/IOUNTING MACHINERY GOMI'ANY, LIMITED,

01 LONDON, ENGLAND.

MACHINE FOR AEFIXING SHEETS O F PAPERORJTHE LIKE TOBOARDS, CARDS, 03

LIKE MOUNTS.

.Applicatlonnled May 24, 1926, Serial No. 111,301, andlnGreat Britain J'anuary'lS, 19 26.

like to boards, cards or like mounts, and.

has for its primary objcctto so construct themachine that the said sheets of paper 'or the like will remain undistorted during the process of applying the adhesive, and also during mounting and finally pressing.

In the .machine constructed according to my invention the said sheet or sheets of ,paper-or .the'like is or are retained in a'fiat horizontal plane throughout the'whole'proc essiand is thus unsubjected to stressorwarpingn, Further, during'the application of the adhesive to its face, the said paper or the "like is held stationary in a flat plate, the. said .adhes ive'heing applied by a system of rollers-adapted to travel in a. horizontal plane parallel to the face of the paper.

I provide travelling pasting rollers which are caused by myconstruction to lift from the paper during the forward'movementand are lowered into contact therewith during the'hackwarcl and operative stroke.

I employ a continuous belt, and amountingroller which remain stationary during halt a cycle of operations of the machine, the latter making a complete revolution during the otherhalf cycle ofthe machine.

And in order that my invention may be completely understood, reference should be made to the accompanying sheets or drawmgs:- p

Fig. 1 is a general arrangement in part sectional elevation of the complete machine,

the upper portion of the side frame member being removed.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the machine. Fig. 3 shows'to a larger scale in detail the system of travelling rollers'for applying'the adhesive, such as nucilage, paste, glue or the like,'to the sheets.

Fig-at is a part transverse sectional elevationftolalarger scale, of the travelling rollers shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a sectional elevation to a larger scale of the roller which applies the adhe; sive to the paper. I p

' 6 isa section o't one of the distance piecesatrtheends of the adhesive applying roller.

.Fig. "7 is a detail section through the upper mounting roller.

Fig.8 is an end View of the machine.

,Fig- 9 is a detail of the drivingmechanism of the mounting "rollers.

Fig. 10 is a detail of the mechanism for reciprocating'the travelling rollers which I applythe adhesive.

'Fig. 11'is a detail of the cam mechanism "for operating the .feed laysor stops for the paper, the lifting mechanism of the travelling rollers, and for controlling the negative airpressure tothe under-sideandleading edge 01": the said paper orthelike.

Fig. -12 is adetail ofthe cammechanism for controlling the lays or :stops for the hoards orilike mounts.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2,:transversely arranged between the side frame members .1 111(1112 ofthemachine and mountedinsuitahle hearings thereon, are the feed rollers :5v and-'6 forfconveying'the sheet of paper or the like from the feed board, the mounting rollers '7 and 8 whichapply the said paper to board or like mountafter theapplioation of the adhesive, and the pressure rollers 9 sand 10 which serve 5 to exert pressure'between the said paper and the mount and so more complete'a dhesion. I

The "feed rollers 5 and 6', arranged one ahove'the other, are mounted on transverse cause shafts 5* and 6 suitably and rotatively *mounted'in bearingsin the side frame membersl'ancl'fi'and providedwith spur gears 5 and 6 adapted to mesh one with the other.

The mounting rollers7 and 8'are similarly arranged onshafts 7 and "8 which'are r0- tatably mounted in adjustable and spring pressed hearings or plumber blocks 15 and 116 secured to thesaid side frames 1 and 2,

and are provided with intermeshing gear Wheels 7 and 8 The transverse shafts 9 and 10 of the rollers 9 and '10"are similarly mounted in spring-pressed and adjustable hearing or :p'lumbenhlocks 17 and 18 and have secured thereto intermeshing spur gears 9 and 10 A continuous conveyorbe'lt 12 which may "he/ formed of webbing, canvas or other suit- .alile material, is adapted to pass over the lower feed roller 6 and the lower mounting roller Sin suehjlnanner that the paper or the like to be-rnounted, will be conveyed from the laying-up or feed table 11 over a to 'thepinouhting rollers 7 fixed I plate transverse rollers 21 and 25,serveto convey the board or like mount after the paper or the like has been mounted thereon, from the mounting rollers Tend .8 to the pres ure rollers 9 and 10; The said roller is driven through the medium of spur Wheels 26 and 27 from the gear wheel 23 nountednpon the shaft 10 of thelovver compression Iroller 10 (see'Figs. 2 and 8)..

2 and arranged in; alignment therewith at the feed end of the machine,,are sub-frame members 19 and20 each formed with aparallel and horizontal slideivay or channel 21.

Within the longitudinal channels 21 are adapted to slide blocks 30 (see llig. s) rotat-ably. mounted atv the extremities of a transverse shaft 31. .Thc said transverse shaft 31 has mountedthereona roller 32 which is adapted to contact With a parallel roller 33 mounted in adjustable bearings 34 (see Fig.3) inend plates 35. Beneath-the said-roller 33 and contacting therewith is a sectional roller 37 mountedin adjustable bearings 36 in the end plates 35. The roll- .ers 33 and 37. are driven by the shaft 31.

through the medium of spur gears 38, 39

and 40 (see Fig. 3) mounted upon the shafts 31, 33 and 37 of the said rollers 32, 33 and 37 respectively. The roller 32 is adapted to .rotate in a trough containing the adhesive paste, mucilage, glue or the like, .in such manner that on the rotationof the said roller 1 is 32, a thin film of the said adhesive Will be.

"application to evenly distributed over the face of the said sectional distributing roller37, through. the

medium oftheintermediary roller 33, for

to bemounted. i

Loosely mounted upon the shaft 31, near its outer extremities, are spur pinions 41 Whieh mesh vvith parallelracks 12 secured tothesub-frame members and 20, in such manner that on the shaft 31, carryingthe system of rollers applying the adhesive, be-

ing moved laterally in the slideways 21, the

said spur pinions 41 will be rotated. These 44 rigidly secured to the shaft 31 in such manner that the .saidupawlsi3, Will only engage the said ratchet Wheels itlwhen the shaft 31 is nl ved laterally from the centre 2 towards the feed end of the machine. it Thus the system of rollers 32, 33, and 37 Willbe theuppe-r surface of the sheet rotated during this lateral backward move- Wheels ietflinksor rods 61 Land 62 which form an operative COIlDGCtlOIl .xvith crank arms 63 audliw secured to the transverse shaft 165 (see Fig. "10). -Secu1'cdto the shaft 65 is a spur pinion 66 adapted toengage a rack 67 of a rocking quadrant 68. The said quadrant'is plvotallymounted on a shaft 69 and is connected at ts lower ex tremity by means of a link 70 with crank pin 71 secured in'the end disc 72'ofthecross i driving shaft 57. On the rotation of the Mounted upon and suitably secured tothe upperface of the side frame membersl and a said shaft 57 the spur pinion Willbe givenv a partial rotation alternatively in either di- [rection,causing the travelling rollers to move backwards.andforwards over the taceoi the conveyor belt 12.

Above the distributing 11111611133 and secured to theend plates 35 and 36 isa. transverse shaft 51 extending across the breadth of the machineand provided at its outer ends withsmallurollers 52. and 53. These saidrollers 52 and 53are adapted to rest upon horizontal shafts 5% and 55 eccentrically-inounted'in recesses in the upper face i i i of the sub-frame members 19 and 20 in such .57 that the said eccentric shafts5-l and 55 will be given a partial rotation and cause the distributing rollers 37 to be lifted during the forward movement of thefadhesive applying rollers. Y i ll The said distributing roller 37 is constructed 'froma multiplicity of short. rollers or sections 31' (see Fig all ground "to the same diameter and mounted uponthe cen tral shaft 37 Distance pieces 37 of reduced diameter are provided at each endto 9 bring the overall length of the roller up to the normal din'iensions 1bet\veen' the bean ings. Fig. 6 shows a section of suclrdistance piece37 which is tapped at its central line to screw upon thethreaded portion of the shaft. By using variousfnumbers of sections and lengths of distance pleces the length of the adhesive applying roller 37 may be accurately adjusted to the exact Width of the paper or the like to be mount V ed, thus ensuring that no adhesive is applied to the belt 12 and dispensing with the use of blanket-s or like devices.

lVith reference to Fig; 9, loosely mounted upon the shaft S of the lower mounting roller 8 is a spur pinion 72 adapted to engage a rack 7 3 formed on the face of a quadrant 74;. The saidiquadrant 74 is pivotally mounted'on a shaft 75 and is connected at its lower end or opposite arm 76 by means ofa link 77 with a crank pin 78 securedbetween the two main driving wheels 79 and 80, mounted upon the transverse shaft 57. The driving wheels 79 and 80 have gear teeth formed on their peripheries which mesh with the spur pinions 83 and 84 mounted upon the-main transverse driving shaft 85. Themain driving shaft 85 is adapted to pass throughisuitable bearings in the side frame members 1iand'2and carry on one Side a driving pulley 86. On the opposite side of the machine-the'projection of the shaft 85 carries a small pulley 87 for the purpose of driving the pressure rollers 9 and 10 through the medium of a driving belt 88 and spur wheels 89 and 90 suitably mounted on shafts 89 and 90*.

On the rotation .of the driving shaft 85 and the wheels 79 and '80 the quadrant 7 1 (see Fig. 9) is oscillated orgiven a partial rotation alternatively, in either direction.

The spur pinion ,72 is rigidly secured to a ratchet 81 which is adapted to engage a spring-pressed :pawl 82 pivotally mounted upon the :spur'whee l 8 01 the lower mounting roller 8. The quadrant rack and pinion 7 3 and 72 with the pawl 82 and ratchet disc 81 are .soarranged that the roller 8 will be given aacomplete revolution in one direction duringone half ofa revolution of the driving wheels 7 9 and 80 and will reor stops 92 are-clarriedon a transverse member 93 and are formed with longitudinal slots 92 (see Fig. 2) along their length in order that the position of the said lays may be adjusted accordingto thepositio-n on the said board ormoun't to which it is desired to aflix the said sheet of ipaperior the like.

The said transverse member -93 .issecured at either end to arms or levers 94 p'ivota'lly mounted at theirilower ends on a shaft 95 which is operatively connected with acam "99 secured to the driving shaft 57 by, means of a lever'96, a link 97, and a cam lever 98.

The cam 99 is so designed that the lays 92 are drawn backwards out of their operative position shortly after the rollers 7 and 8 commence to rotate.

In orderthat the leading edge of the sheet of paper or the like may be held securely tothe faceof the conveyor belt 12 during the process of applying the adhesive, the plate 22 is provided across :its face at a point where the said leading ed e of the paper normally comes'to rest, wit a series of holes "100 connected by "means-of a pipe 101 to a small air vacuum pump 102. This vacuum pump 102 is drivenby means of a belt 103 from a pulley ltla'mounted upon the driving shaft 57'. A release valve 105 is provided inthe pipe 101 and operated by 'means of a link 100 connected to theca-m lever 62in such manner that negative pressure will be exerted on the underside of the conveyor belt 12 during the process of applying the adhesive to the paper or the like and will be released during the forward movement 7 of the said belt.

The said cam lever '62 is also operatively connected by means of'the links and levers 107,108, 109, 110, 111, and 112 with the transverse rod 113, carrying the feed lays or stops 11 1 of the feed board llffor, the said paperor the like. The said rod 113 is carried in end hearings in the brackets 123, 1-=

supporting'the feed board 11 and secured to the end frame member 3." Swinging brackets 115 and 116 (see Figs. 2, 3 and 4:), are

' rotatively mounted upon. the shaft 5 and carry a feed roller 117 mounted in suitable bearings between them. "The said feed "roller 117 isdriven from the shaft '5 by the chain of gears 118, 119-, 120 (seeFig.

3) and is adapted to contactwith a complementary roller 121 mounted beneathfitin suitable bearings carried by the brackets123.

Suitably mounted between the side frame members 1 and 2 and located beneath the upper-"portion of the belt 12 between the plate 22 and the system of mounting rollers 17 and 8 is a gas heater 122 for the purpose" of applying heatrto the paper and the like after the application of the ad 'hesive in order that any superfluous mois- Xture contained i'n the said adhesive maybe evaporated before the said paper or the like is applied to 'the said "board or'mount,

The cycle of operation of the machine is as follows :--The machine commences operation in theposition shown in Fig. 1, the paper or the like tobe mounted having been fed up on the board 11by the rollers 117 and 121 to the lays or stops 114C. 7 The pawl I 82 mounted upon the spur wheel 8 of the roller 8 is now in engagement with the ratchetface of the disc Stand onthe rotation of'the maindriving pulley 86, the quadrant- 74 will move inan anti-clockwise direction causing therollers 7 and 8 to moi e through a complete revolution. The convey-' ing belt 12 will thus move forward. rotat- At the same time the'cam 56 will operate the lays or the board or mountwith the paper affixed ing the feed rollers 5 and (5.

stops 114 causing them to fall awayout of engagement with the leading edgecf the paper. The said paper or thelike is then free "to be moved forward by the rollers 117 and 121 into'contact with tllQ..fGBd rollers 5 and 6. The belt 12 thus conveys the paper or the like over the plate 22 until the leading edge of the said paper just passes the suption holes .100 in the said plate. The rollers Shaving completed a revolution.willthen cease rotation and the belt 12 will remain stationary duringthe nextlhalf of the cycle.

The cam 56 now operates the valve 105 and causes negativeflpressure to 'be applied to the holes whereby the said leading edge of the said paperfwillbecaused to hold tightly to thebelt 12 and so be securely lined in po- 33, and 37,'for applying the adhesive, have been moved forward over the said paper by the quadrant 68, the roller 37 duringthis ary, V

. On reaching the limit of its forward inovemotionhaving been lifted from contact with the surface of the'said paper bythe com bined actions ofthe cam 56 and .the eccen tric shafts 5,4: and 55. Further, during this" forward movement, the pawls 43 mounted on the gear wheels 41 have not engaged the ratchet wheels .44 with the result that the rollers 32, 33, and 37 have remained stationment the cam, 56 and the eccentricshafts .54 and allow the roller 37 to makecontact with the said paper and remain in such contact duringyt-he backward motion ofthe saidtravelling roller system. The spur wheels 4:1 being reversed by the racks 42,.

the 'pawls 43. now engage the ratchet wheels 44 andcause the rollers 32, 33 and 37 to rotate, thereby distributing athin film of adhesive to the upper surface of the said paper.

" .During this process thesaidpaper is held to the surface of the fabric belt12 by the suction exerted by the vacuum pun1pj 102.

On the system. of travelling rollers reaching the backward limit of its movement, the

suctionon the belt 12 is released in the manner previously described and the said fabric belt is again moved forward by the roller,

8 conveying the adhesivetreated paper over the heated chamber 122 where it again pauses during half a cycle of the operation for the purpose of extracting superfluous moisture from the said adhesive. The board J or mount upon which the paper is to be afther movement of the rollers 7 and 8 and thefabric belt 12, the lays or stops'92 are withdrawn in the manner before described and the said paper isconveyed into contact with the said boards or mounts and pressed into position thereon by the said, rollers 7 and8.

After passing the said rollers 7 and 8 i thereon is conveyed by thc tapes 23 to the cause a more completeadhesion. 3

From the above it will be obscrvedthat throughout the process, the Saidpaperor the like is maintained in a flat horizontal po-'" I sition, and cannot be sub ected to undue strain or warping. Furtheryfithe roller applying the adhesive to the said paper being positively rotatedthroughthe chain of gears 39,, 40 and 41, by the fixed racks 42, secured to the side frames, describes atrue rolling motion without drag over the face of the said paper, thereby applying an even coat of adhesive to the" surface of the said sition. Meanwhilethe systcmof rollers 32, paper. y y j J It will beobserved'that by adjusting the position of the stops 92 and laying the board up to them, a sheet of every small sizeJmay be mounted on a board in any positionwith relation thereto however large the board maybe within suitable limits upto the size i paper is placed imeans for passing the paper to bemounted round a'roller during the pasting process,

icc

during which process the paper may there fore sufier distortion or even occasional fold 'ing, the method according to the present invention, by keeping the paper ina flat horizont-alplane and keepingit also stationary when the pasteis applied, serves to prevent any distortion or warping of the paper.

What I do claim as my invention and: desire to'secureby Letters Patentis 1. In a machine of the character described for affixing sheets of paper or the like to mounts, a member over which themounts are 7 fed, means for feeding thesheets of paper through the machine and into positionto be allixed to 1 the mount, and reciprocating means for applying an adhesive to the sheet, said reciprocating 1 means being out a of engagement with the sheet when moved in one direction but. engaged with thefsheetwhen moved in the opposite direction. a

described for affixing sheets of paper orthe like to mounts, a member overwhich themounts are fed, means for feeding the sheetsof pa perthrough the machine and into position to be affixed to the mounts," and reciprocating means for applying an adhesive to thepaper,

2. In a machine of the character said reciprocating means being raised out of engagement with the paper upon movement in one direction but lowered into engagement with the paper upon movement in the opposite direction.

3. In a machine of the'character described for aiiixing sheets of paper or the like to mounts, a member over which the mounts are fed, means for feeding the sheets of paper through the machine and into position to be ailixed to the mounts, means for applying an adhesive to the sheets of paper, means for drying the adhesive, and meansfor pressing the paper onto the mount.

a. In a machine of the character described for affixing sheets of paper or the like to mounts, a member over which the mounts are fed, means for feeding the sheets of paper through the machine and into position to be affixed to the mounts, means for applying an adhesive to the sheets of paper, means for drying the adhesive, and rollers for press,

ing the paper onto the mount.

5. In a machine of the character de scribed for aflixing sheets of paper or the like to mounts, a member over which the mounts are fed, means for feeding the paper through the machine and into position to be afiixed to the mount, means forapplying an adhesive to the sheet of paper, means for holding the paper stationary while the adhesive is being applied, means for drying the adhesive, and means for pressing the paper into engagement with the mount.

(5. In a machine of the character described for. aiiixing sheets of paper or the like to mounts, a member over which the mounts are fed, means for feeding the sheets oi paper through the machine in a fiat horizontal plane and into position to be affixed to the mounts, means for applying an adhesive to the sheet of paper, means for holding the paper stationary while the adhesive is being applied, means for drying the adhesive, and means for pressing the paper into engagement with the mount.

7. In a machine of the character described for aflixingsheets of paper or'the like to mounts, a member over which the mounts are fed, means for feeding the sheets of paper through the machine and into position to be aifixed to the mounts, reciprocating pasting rollers for applying an adhesive to the sheets of paper, and meansfor lifting the rollers out of engagement with the paper upon movement in one direction and to lower the rollers into contact with the paper upon movement in the opposite direction.

8. In a machine of the character described for afi ixing sheets of paper or the like to are fed, means for feeding the sheets of paper through the machine and to be aflixed to the mount, a mounting roller for mountingthe sheet of paper upon the mount, and means for holding the mounting rollers stationary during half a cycle of operation of the machine and to make a complete revolution during the other half cycle of operation.

10. In a machine of the character described for affixing sheets of paper or the like to mounts, a member over which the mounts are fed, means for supplying the sheets of paper, means for applying adhesive to the sheets of paper, means for dry-- ing the'adhesive, means for mounting the sheets of paper onto the mounts, and means for intermittently conveying the sheets of aper to the adhesive applying means, the rying means, and the mounting means.

11. In a machine of the character described for afiixing sheets of paper or the like to mounts, a member over which the mounts are fed, means for supplying the sheets of paper, means for applying adhesive to the sheets of paper, means for means for mountin drying the adhesive, the sheets of paper onto the mounts, and means for intermittently conveying the sheets of paper in a fiat condition and in a horizontal plane to the adhesive applying means, the drying means, and the mounting means.

WILLIAM DOCKRAY RATCLIFF. 

